Love Squared
by Rikkuliam
Summary: Takes place in New Moon. Bella doesn't jump, she falls. The Cullens eventually come back, but how will Bella deal with it? And what happens when the Volturi find out about the pack? Please R&R. JacobxBella -- For now.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**_Ok So this is my first fanfic. It was originally just a thought I jotted down about Bella and eventually turned into alot of 'what if's'. So please read as there is lots more to come. I can't say what yet because it'd spoil what I'm working up to._

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing Twilight-related, only Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter 1 - Cliff Diving**

10:30 on a Saturday morning and here I was in LaPush standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Jacob had promised me that he would take me cliff diving today, but he had had to cancel at the last minute. Pack stuff and all.

I was bummed, but I wasn't about to waste a perfectly sunny day by staying home and doing chores. Sunny days in forks was a rare thing and I intended to spend this one outdoors.  
So here I was on the highest point of the cliff debating whether to jump or not. I wanted to, but I wasn't sure If I should from this high up on my first jump. When you're down below and looking up it's easy to say, _No problem I could do that_. But when you're actually up here and looking down, suddenly it doesn't look all that easy.

I stepped up to the edge of the cliff and peered down. The water below looked calm enough, so I didn't think I would have too much trouble swimming to shore.

That's it, I was ready. "Let's do this." I told myself outloud.  
I was just about to jump when I heard _"His"_ voice.

_Bella No!_

I gasped, startled by the angry velvet voice. I lost my footing and began plummeting like a rock toward the ocean below, screaming as I fell.

When I finally reached the water, I hit it at an odd angle and it knocked the breath out of me. I felt water filling my lungs as I sank below the surface, then nothing as I slipped into unconciousness.

_"Breathe"  
_Warm hands were on my chest, forcing the water from my lungs. _"Breathe!"_ A husky voice pleaded. _"Please, come on, breathe!"_

This was certainly a strange and painful dream. My throat felt rubbed raw as the last of the water left my lungs and was replaced with air. I was breathing again, in painful, ragged gasps. My throat burned, and I made an effort to slow my breathing.

_"Thank goodness."_ The voice said and then everything went dark again as the dream faded.

When I was concious, I was disoriented. The dream had been the most realistic one I'd had in a while. I wasn't even sure if I was really awake or if this was still a dream.  
I was sure of one thing: I wasn't in bed. It felt like I was being rocked, and whatever was holding me was way too warm. The heat felt good to my wet body though.

"Bella?" A familiar husky voice called to me in a worried tone.  
I rubbed at my eyes and when they opened I saw Jacob's anxious face starring down at me.

"Jacob?" I tried to say his name but it came out mumbled. It hurt to speak and my throat was still burning.  
"Wh-what's going on?" I managed to whisper.

"Bella, thank goodness." He crushed me to his chest in a hug, my face smothered in the heat of him. "Jeez, Bells you almost gave me a heart attack! Why the heck did you jump?" He pulled me away from his chest to stare me in the eyes, clearly upset. I looked blankly at me, confused. "I thought we agreed to do it a different day. I told you it wasn't safe on your own. Especially for someone like you." He said that last part with a wry smile on his face and i knew what he meant by it. I was a danger magnet and he was trying to protect me.

"But Jake, I didn't jump." I said shaking my head. And suddenly I began to realize that my dream might not have been much of a dream after all.

"What do you mean? Bella, your truck was still up on the cliff, I found you down here unconcious on the shore." He told me. He was gazing into my eyes intently.

"I don't really remember what happened.."

"Great, so I leave you alone for a few hours and you go cliff diving, probably hit your head and now you've got amnesia?" He sighed, frustrated, and shook his head.

I nodded slowly. I figured he was right. I didn't remember anything except the dream, so he had to be right.

"I'd better get you to the hospital, you could have a concussion." I realized then that we were standing by my truck. Jacob opened the passenger side door and set me inside.

"No, I'm ok Jake," I protested. "I just want to go home and get cleaned up." A nice long shower was sounding really good right now. I just wanted to go home and into some dry clothes.

"Please, just take me home. If we go to the hospital then Charlie will here about it. I really don't want him to get all worked up over nothing."

"It's not nothing, Bells." Jacob muttered, but he must've decided I was right because he didn't say anything after that. He just drove me home.

The ride back to my house was quiet. Neither of us spoke a word. I didn't know why Jacob was so quiet, but the only reason I didn't say anyhing was because of my throat.

As soon as we were inside, I went straight for the medicine cupboard. After much searching I found the sore throat medication, taking as much as I thought I could handle.

Jacob decided to stay over at least until Charlie came back from watching the game with Billy. He was just worried about me I supposed.

"Jake, you don't have to stay here. I'll be fine on my own." I tried to reassured him. "I don't want to waste your Saturday. I'm just going to be taking a shower, a quick nap and then finishing up some chores around here. You'll just be bored."

"It's ok, I don't mind sticking around." He smiled back at me. "You always stick around when I fall asleep, so now it's my turn to stay while you do."

I could tell he wasn't going to leave no matter what I said. I didn't want to argue with him right now. My head hurt and I was feeling dizzy, so I dropped it.  
"Fine, but don't complain to me when you get bored and end up leaving. I'll just say I told you so." I knew I was being childish, but i didn't care. I just turned around and headed up the stairs.

I ended up tripping only once on the way up, but managed to catch myself before I tumbled all the way down. I could've sworn I heard Jacob snickering at me as he headed for the couch to rest abit.

Once safely upstairs, I found a clean pair of old sweats and a t-shirt, and set them aside to change into later after my shower.

In the bathroom, I cranked the shower knob onto warm and quickly peeled off my salty, wet clothes. The moment I climbed into the shower and let the warm water wash over me, I immediately felt much better. I rubbed my arms and closed my eyes, letting the water rinse the ocean salt away from my body.

I'd only had my eyes closed for a minute, but that was all it took for the dizziness to make me loose my balance and slip, brining the many shampoo and shower gel bottles come crashing down with me. Something was really wrong with me today. I was a klutz, yes, but not this bad. At least I didn't think i was. I lay there stunned for for a moment, the room was spinning and my head ached. I closed my eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning.

"Bella?" Jacob's voice was too loud and close I realized. I opened my eyes and saw that he was staring down at me with half a smile tugging at his lips.  
"Can't get enough of that falling sensation, huh Bells?" He chuckled, reaching over me to turn off the water and then draping a towl over me. "You sure are doing alot of falling today. Maybe I should've taken you to the hospital after all."  
Jacob lifted me effortlessly into his arms and I rested my head against his feverishly warm chest.

"Let's get you to bed." He said, carrying me out of the bathroom. "You look tired."

"Yeah, all this falling down sure takes a lot out of a girl." I mumbled sarcastically.

Jacob chuckled and set me on my bed. I fell back against my pillows, exhausted despite the long nap I took on the beach, and pulled the covers over my naked body.

"Jake, I need to change." I yawned. "So can you leave the room, please?"

"No." He said flatly and I felt the mattress sink under his weight as he climbed into bed with me.

"Jacob! Wha-" I started to protest but he silenced me with a finger to my lips.

"Stop squirming Bella. Don't worry, I won't look and I'm not going to do anything. Just go to sleep." He whispered and pulled me against his body so that we were facing eachother on our sides. He tucked my head under his chin so that my cheek was pressed against his bare chest.

"Jacob, please..." I whined. I wasn't to comfortable with this. It was akward for me with him being the only one with clothes on and me with nothing but a towel to cover myself with.

"Shh, Bella." He shushed me and held me tighter to him. One of his arms wrapped around my waist while the other slowly stroked my wet hair away from my face. "Sleep now, Bella." He continued to whisper, and strangely his low husky voice began to lull me to sleep. "Just sleep."

And I did. In the heat of Jacob's body, I slipped into an oddly peacful sleep.

**A/N:**_ So again, first fanfic. Hope you enjoted it even if I'm not a professinal writer. But Please Read and Review cause it makes me happy to hear from people that like my works.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT **

**A/N: **_Second chapter is here! Thank you to those who have viewed. And a very special thanks to those who have **Reviewed.** __Love for the RDP Members. Enjoy! _

**Chapter 2 - Confussion, Embarressment & Other Things**

"Bella? I'm home!"

I was vaguely aware of the front door slamming shut as Charlie came in. I couldn't move. My body hurt all over. Even with my eyes crusted closed, I still felt dizzy and disoriented, like I was in a haze, stuck between waking and sleeping.

"Bella? You here?" Charlie called out loudly once more and then I heard the distant chatter of many different voices. He must've turned on the TV.

It was then that I became very aware of a loud but steady snoring in my ear. When I finally managed to get my eyes open, I realized that the heat I felt around me was radiating from Jacob, still sleeping in my bed, his face nuzzling the curve of my neck. I smiled and ran a hand through what was left of his once beautiful, long black hair.

My smile quickly faded though as I heard footsteps on the stairs; Charlie was coming upstairs.

I shot straight up in bed and tried desperately to disentangle myself from Jacob's warm embrace. His arms were still wrapped around me and his grip only grew reflexively tighter as I squirmed about, trying to free myself.

"Jake!" I shoved at his arms, trying to wake him. "Jacob, get up!" He only mumbled and shifted in his sleep, which unfortunately put him right ontop of me. The weight of his body smothered me into the mattress and I couldn't breathe, the heat was too much.

"Jeez, Jake! Get Off!" I gasped. Charlie chose that exact moment to walk into the room. I could've died of embarressment, unless Jacob crushed me first.

"Wh-What's going on here?!" Charlie exclaimed so loudly that Jacob shot up out of the bed, startled awake. I gasped and winced as I sucked in painful breathes of air.

"Bella! What do you two think you're doing?!" Charlie's face was turning red, but he was looking away as he yelled at us and i realized too late that I was still naked. I flushed bright red and quickly pulled the covers over me.

"It's not what you think, dad." I replied, despite how embarressed I was. It was no use trying to calm him down though, as he'd obviously already jumped to conclusions. But that was Charlie for you.

"What do you mean It's not what I think?!" He exclaimed. "You're in bed with Jacob, Naked! Don't try and tell me you weren't sleeping with him, Bells! I won't allow this to happen, not in my house!" He was turning purple now. It was so strange to see Charlie getting upset at Jacob. He usually liked him.

"Dad, please!" I grabbed at my head in pain. "Please don't yell. You don't understand, just let us explain."

"Charlie, nothing happened. I swear all we did was sleep." Jacob held his hands out in defense.  
"She had a bit of an accident earlier and I-"

"An Accident? What do you mean? What happened?" Charlie cut Jacob off before he could finish. Clearly Jacob wasn't helping to calm Charlie down at all, if anything he was making matters worse. I cursed him sliently for his choice of words. He really should've known better.

"I'm fine, dad. I just fell in the shower is all." I reasurred him, kowing that this was a minor thing he could deal with. Chalrie was never surprised to see me all banged up, brusied and battered. He knew how much of a klutz I was.

"I helped her to bed when I heard her fall and she fell asleep before she had the chance to get dressed." Jacob added. This seemed to calm Charlie down a bit more and I was relieved.

"Then what were you doing in bed with her if she was already asleep?" Charlie asked, still sounding upset.

"I-" Jacob was about to say something, but I'd had enough of him trying to explain things. I didn't trust him to say anything that would set Charlie off again, so I cut him off.

"I asked him to stay, dad. I didn't want to be alone so he stayed with me and we both fell asleep in my bed. It's nothing to get all worked up over." It was abit of a lie, but Charlie bought it.

"Fine, but I'm here now, so you won't be alone." He grumbled and then turning to Jake added, "You can leave now." And with that, he headed back down the stairs.

Jacob turned to me after Charlie left the room and I could tell he was sort of sorry that he'd stayed because he wouldn't have to deal with Charlie for the rest of the day. But I also could tell he'd gladly do it again given the chance. I glared at him for it.

"Sorry, Bells. Call me later if you can." Was all he said as he left my bedroom with a slight grin on his face and I fell back against my pillows for a second time, exhausted despite my nap.

After awhile of lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, I decided I'd better get up and cook dinner for Charlie. I wasn't too hungry right now and there really wasn't much I could swallow comfortablely with a throat that was so sore it felt as though someone had scrubbed it out with a wire brush. But Charlie still needed to eat and I didn't want him finding out about my attempt to cliff dive this morning, so I'd just have to cook something that would be easy on my throat.

I got up, quickly slipped into the clothes I'd set aside before and headed downstairs.  
Charlie was lounging on the couch watching a sports show, but he switched the TV off as I came down and met me in the kitchen.

"Don't worry about dinner tonight, Bells. I've already called for a pizza." He informed me. I had already started pulling things out of the cupboards for dinner.

"Oh, I'm sorry dad. I didn't realize how late it was." I frowned and began putting everything away. Well this was just perfect. So much for going easy on my throat. _I'd just have to tell him I wasn't very hungry_, I thought, feeling guilty already.

"It's ok. I thought you could use a break from cooking today." He said and leaned against the counter, watching me put things away.  
"What really happened today, Bells? You look horrible."

Inwardly I beat myself for not bothering to look in the mirror before I came down. I probably looked even worse than I felt. What was I going to say? I didn't want to have to lie to him, but I also didn't want him knowing about my latest activities.

"Do you really need to ask Ch-dad?" I asked sarcastically. "I tripped alot walking on the beach with Jacob." I said avoiding his eyes and trying to look embarressed. Charlie looked suspicious, but not enough to ask further. He just changed the subject.  
"So... you and Jacob, hmm?"

I sighed, knowing exactly where this would lead and I didn't want to talk about this again, not now.

"Dad, I already told you that nothing is going on between me and Jake. We're just friends."

"That may be how you feel, but I don't think Jacob feels the same. Just give him a chance, Bells. He's a good kid. He'd be good for you."

"Dad, please. I don't want to talk about this right now." I was starting to get annoyed. He always brought up things like this. It was so hypocritical of him. Just a little while ago he'd been on our case for sleeping in my bed and now he was trying to get us to hook up? Sometimes I just didn't understand him.

"Alright, fine. But-" He was about to go on but I glared at him and that made him stop. He just muttered something to himself before going back into the living room and turning on the TV.

I sighed again, truely annoyed and very exhausted. Suddenly I really didn't want to be here in the house with Charlie. I needed to get out and clear my head, get some fresh air and just be alone for awhile.

"I'm going out Charlie." I said walking past him in a hurry. "Don't worry, I'll be back later." I grabbed my jacket and was out the door before he had a chance to protest.

It wasn't until I'd pulled up infront of Jacob's house that I realized I'd driven to LaPush.  
It scarred me that I didn't remember deciding to drive up here. It was as if I'd been in a daze the whole way up, or maybe Jacob had been right and I did have a concussion. If that was the case I shouldn't be here right now and I probably shouldn't be driving either.

Just as I was about to turn my truck around and head back home, there was a loud knock on my window. Startled, I jumped, then whipped my head around to see who it was. I frowned realizing it was Jacob.

"Jeez Jake, you scared me!" I exclaimed before realizing he couldn't hear me with my window rolled up, not to mention that the deafening roar of my truck's engine also drowned out alot of sound.  
I turned my truck off and rolled down the window.

"Hey Bells. What brings you here so late? I didn't think Charlie was going to let you near me again for awhile." He chuckled with the smile I loved best tugged as his lips. I found myself smiling back at him, unable to help myself. Just seeing him made all of my earlier frustrations fade away.

"Well actually, I kind of just up and left." I explained to him. He frowned and raised an eyebrow, curiously.  
"Charlie was hounding me about some thing and I got so frustrated at him. I just couldn't stand to be in the house any longer."

"Do you think that was a wise decision?" He asked eyeing me warrily. "He's not going to be upset at you when you get back or send out a search party, is he?" Jacob seemed to tense at the thought. I supposed he just didn't want the wrath of Charlie to be turned on him. I couldn't blame him.

"No, don't worry. I told him I'd be back later." I reasurred him and the his tension eased up a bit.

"That's good." He nodded to himself. "So how're you feeling? You didn't look so great when I left you." He reached out to me and began to stroke my cheeks with his warm fingertips.

"I'm fine." I said, pulling away to jump out of my truck. "Just alittle exhausted."

"Well you did have a long day." He chuckled at me. "So now that you're down here what do you want to do?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure." I replied, not knowing what else to say. I hadn't planned on coming up here, but now that I was it only seemed right to stay for abit.

"Come here then." He said, pulling me to the back of my truck. "Let's just sit out here for awhile." Jacob lifted me into the bed of the truck and we lay down next to each other, gazinging up at the bright full moon, just visible in the dark and cloudy night sky.

"Did you know my birthday is this coming friday?" He asked me after a long while of silence.  
I'd almost fallen asleep beside him. It was so warm laying here next to him that for a minute I had forgotten we were outside.

"What? This friday?" I asked wide-eyed, sitting up beside him. I hadn't known and wished he'd told me sooner. Or maybe he had and I was just to out of it to remember.

"No, I didn't know that. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I don't even know what I'm going to get you."

I guess I must've gotten too wound up because the next thing I knew, Jacob was sitting up beside me and his hands were on my face, gently forcing me to look at him.

"Bella, calm down. It's no big thing." He said calmly. His fingers brushed along my cheeks. "You don't have to get me anything."

"Yeah, but I want to." I protested. "There's got to be something you want. Everyone wants at least one thing for their birthday, right?" _Well except for me_, I thought to myself.

He laughed and smiled my favorite smile again. "well yeah, there is one thing, but you can't buy it."

"Something I can't buy? So are you saying it's too expensive?" I wondered, curious and confused.

"No, that's not what I meant." He laughed again and shook his head. "I meant that you can't buy it because it's not for sale."

Now I was really confussed.

"Jake, just tell me what it is you want."

"Silly Bella, It's not a thing that I want; It's a who." He said softly, his warm breath carressing my face. I noticed that his face was closer to mine than it had been just a few minutes before.  
"And that who is you, Bella."

"Oh..." I breathed as his words finally clicked in my head. It was all I was able to say before he turned my face up to his and our lips touched in a sweet and gentle kiss. His warm lips moved against mine for a moment before pulling back to gaze at me with a smile and a look of complete happiness on his face. It was short lived though. A frown quickly took the place of his smile and a look of worry passed over his features.

"Bella?"

I pulled away from him slowly and looked away.

"Jake I...I can't do this right now." I said in a whisper so quiet that I barely heard it myself. I wasn't ready for this, not yet. I was still broken, hurt from the last relationship I'd been in. I wasn't fully healed. I may never fully heal from it. I wasn't sure if I was ready to let someone else into my life, or if I ever would be. I didn't think my heart could handle it right now.

Jacob looked away towards his house and I heard Billy call out to us from the porch.

"Bella, your dad just called. Said he wants you home now." Billy informed me and rolled himself back into the house.

I got out of the bed of my truck and went for the driver's side door.  
"I have to go now." I said to Jacob, though he obviously knew that.

"Bells, wait." He reached out for me but I shook my head and he dropped his hands and look of rejection passed over his features.

"I'm sorry, Jake, but I-" I turned back to him to explain, but he was already gone. I immediately felt horrible. I wanted to get out of my truck and run into the forest to find him, but I knew that I'd just end up getting lost and it wouldn't help either of us. It was probably best to just leave him be for tonight. I'd come back tomorrow and talk to him.

As I drove off, I heard the agonized cry of a wolf in the distance.

**A/N:** _Again, please review! I need to know what you really think of this story. It helps me get motivated to update. So more reviews faster chapter updates. Just tell me what you think, I want constructive crit, please? Be on the lookout for next weeks Chapter update!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT.**

**Special Note:** Just want to say a special thank you to **Amabel** who is my wonderful Editor.

**A/N:** _So here is the first part of chapter 3. The second part will be the last chapter I work on for a few weeks. I will be visiting some people up in Washington for a few weeks, but will be back on schedule when I come back. So enjoy._

**Chapter 3 - Reunion - Part 1**

The next day, I had gone to see Jacob, but he wasn't at home. Billy had met me at the door, and informed me that he was out patrolling with the pack. When I asked if it was okay to stay until he returned, Billy replied that he wasn't going to be back for quite some time.

"Just give us a call later, Bella," he had said with a smile. I could tell he was politely trying to get me to leave. It kind of offended me. I hoped Billy wasn't mad at me too.

Since I obviously wasn't going to be seeing Jacob at all today, I decided to go to Port Angeles and shop for his birthday present. I wasn't entirely sure he'd accept anything from me now though, as he was obviously upset with me.

It didn't take me too long to figure out what to get him. Jacob had been going through shoes left and right, and was in desperate need of a new pair. I knew he, and Billy, would appreciate the contribution. So, shoes it was.

I wasn't exactly sure if he preferred a particular brand or not, so I bought him a pair of black Nike's and a pair of black Rebok's. I figured he'd prefer black to white because black didn't show mud as plainly as white did.

My truck made the drive back to Forks take longer than I had expected it to, and I didn't get back until late. When I finally got home, I called Jacob the second I walked in the door. The phone rang three times before someone answered. It was Billy. He told me, without an ounce of regret in his voice, that Jacob was already in bed. He'd gotten back late and was exhausted. Billy told me to try the calling again tomorrow, but I knew by the tone in his voice that it would be a wasted effort.

I knew I'd have the same luck again tomorrow. Jacob was avoiding me and that made me upset. He was acting so childish. All I wanted to do was explain to him what I'd been thinking yesterday and why I'd said what I did. If he wasn't going to talk to me, how was I going to set things right? It wasn't even my fault. He was the one who kissed me in the first place. I should be the one that was upset and ignoring him, not the other way around.

The whole week went just how I'd known it would. Jacob never answered when I called, no matter what time of day it was. Even Billy stopped picking up eventually. I started to think I wasn't ever going to get to talk to or see him again, and I hated it.

The week finally dragged to a close. I tried calling again Friday morning, knowing better than to hope that Jacob would answer. When the answering machine picked up, I grew angry. That was it; I'd had more than enough of this nonsense. It was time to end this stupid 'Ignore Me' game that he was playing. I was going to go and see him, and tell him exactly how I felt face to face.

I rushed out of the house, skipping breakfast, and drove as fast as my truck would go down the highway to La Push.

Charlie was going to have a cow when he found out that I was skipping school, but I didn't care. All that mattered to me right now was finding out what the heck Jacob's problem was.

Pushing my truck for all it was worth, I made it to his house in record time. When I pulled up, Billy was sitting out on the porch.

"Jacob's not here right now, Bella." He called out to me as I climbed out of my truck. I slammed the door shut, which sent a shower of rusted paint to the ground. "Does Charlie know you're here?"

"Where is Jacob?" I called back, ignoring his question and not bothering to conceal the anger in my tone. I started walking toward the house.

"Bella, your dad isn't going to be too happy about you skipping school. Why don't you come back later?" I could tell I wasn't wanted here, but I didn't care.

"I need to talk to Jacob," I said. This was beginning to get annoying. If he didn't tell me where Jacob was, I'd just stay in my truck until he came back.

"He's out with his friends right now. They won't be back until later." He finally replied and I sighed.

"Fine. I'll just stay until he gets back," I informed him with a scowl and marched back to my truck.

I wasn't prepared for having to wait, and therefore had nothing to amuse me while I kept watch for Jacob. It was going to be a long morning.

After about 30 minutes, I lay down on the seats of my truck and it wasn't long before I was dozing off. I hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Worrying about Jacob had kept me up until the late hours of the night.

As I slept, I dreamed. It was all very vague and only parts stuck with me; a dark forest, the gloomy clouds that threatened to rain down on me, the howls of wolves, and loud husky voices. Then the dream became reality. I could feel the cold rain on my face and smell the woodsy, musk smell of the forest and I was warm, so very warm despite the rain on my face. That woke me up. I shielded my face as the clouds pelted me with cold droplets.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" Jacob's husky voice startled me. He was glaring down at me, his hair totally soaked. The water ran off onto my face.

"Jacob!" I cried and pressed my face against his warm, bare chest. My resolve melted away in that instant. I was just so happy to see him again that I wasn't as upset at him anymore. How could I be? I felt like I could forgive him anything as long as I could see him again.

He held me until we were inside his house, then he set me down to stand on my own. I kept my forehead leaned against his chest even when my feet were on the ground.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" I exclaimed suddenly, glaring up at him as I slapped my hand across his chest. "I wanted to explain things to you, but you had to go and be all childish by ignoring me," I grumbled at him and walked away, plopping myself down on the small sofa in his living room. "I was really getting annoyed at hear Billy's voice every time I called, you know."

Jacob sighed and came to sit with me on the sofa. I scooted as far from him as possible on the tiny sofa, but that still didn't put much space between us. He practically took up the entire couch.

"Bella, I wasn't ignoring you. I've been very busy with pack stuff. We were picking up new scents trailing along our borders and I didn't want you out here until I was sure it was safe," he explained, his gaze catching mine. I knew from the look in his eyes that he wasn't lying.

So I'd been worried over nothing this whole time?

"Why didn't you just call me and explain it all earlier?" I questioned. "I was so worried that you were mad at me. I thought I might not ever get to see or talk to you again." I sniffled and turned from his gaze. I wasn't going to let myself cry, not over this.

"I did but you were always still in school. Nobody ever picked up," he replied, reaching a hand out to my face and wiping away the tears I hadn't known were there. I shouldn't be crying about this. I didn't want to cry. Why was I crying?

This whole time I'd worried over nothing. Jacob wasn't upset or ignoring me, he was just trying to protect me.

"I'm sorry, Jake." I sniffled again, embarrassed. "I just thought that after that night you were mad and didn't want to talk to me." I sneezed and wiped my nose on my wet jacket sleeve.  
Great, I thought. I'm probably going to catch a cold sitting in these wet clothes.

"Hey, that doesn't sound good. We should get you out of these." He gestured at my wet clothes. I smiled. I felt like Jacob was reading my mind, just like always.He helped me out of my jacket before wrapping a blanket around me.

"I'll go see if I can find you something to wear until they dry." He disappeared into his room for a moment and came back holding a pair of cut-off sweats and a large, black T-shirt.

"Here, go change into these. I don't want you getting sick now." I nodded and headed to the bathroom to change.

As I peeled off my clothes, my squeaking wet shoes reminded me that today was Jacob's birthday. I'd left his present at home in my rush to get down here. A lot of good it would do there. I wondered if Jake wouldn't mind coming along with me to pick them up, as well as some clothes of my own.

I dressed quickly, not wanting to admit how ridiculous I looked in Jacob's clothes. The cut-offs were practically pants on me, as they hung to the middle of my calf. The T-shirt wasn't any better; it looked like an over-sized nightgown. The sleeves came just past my elbows and it hung to my knees. I shook my head, reminding myself that these were only temporary, and went to ask Jacob about my plan.

When I came out of the bathroom, I heard the unmistakable voices of the other pack members.  
Well, this was just great. Now they'd all get to see me modeling Jake's over-sized clothes. This was bound to be embarrassing.

Sure enough, as soon as I stepped into the room Quil and Embry smirked and began to poke fun at my new wardrobe.

"It's not my fault that Jacob pulled me out into the rain and got my clothes all wet," I said with a mock pout on my face, but I couldn't help laughing along. I had to admit that it was pretty funny.

"Well, I think you look sexy," Jacob said with a grin. We all stared at him for a moment before the boys burst out laughing. Even Sam cracked a smile. I blushed and went to sit down on the tiny sofa again, truly embarrassed now.

Quil whispered something to Embry and they both laughed. What he had said I could only imagine, but I probably didn't want to know. Jacob smacked both of them behind their heads, glaring at them.

"Hey, it's true! We all know it," Quil snorted, rubbing the back of his head and Embry mumbled his agreement. I was out of the loop, but didn't mind. I had a feeling that this was pack stuff and wouldn't necessarily want to get into it.

"Knock it off, all of you," Sam said quietly, and the three of them obeyed. It was still so strange to see them obey so quickly. I remembered Jacob telling me that Sam's word was law and wasn't something to be broken, but I'd never actually seen it in action before. That probably got really annoying after a while, but there wasn't anything they could do about it.

Just then Jared and Paul came through the door, and the already small room became claustrophobic. With six overgrown teenagers jostling for a seat, there was hardly room to move.

"Hey Bella." Jared came up behind me and tousled my hair. "Long time no see. Nice outfit," he commented, and I heard quiet chuckles coming from Embry and Quil. Jacob glared at them again and they shut up.

"Nothing new to report, just the same strange scent along the borders," Paul notified Sam with all the seriousness of an officer reporting to a commander in the military. At first I wasn't aware of what he was talking about. It seemed sort of random to me.

"Though we did catch the scent in our territory, near the beaches. Whatever it is, it seems to be getting curious," Jared added and I determined that the two of them had just been on a patrol.

"Hmm, we can't let it get too comfortable slipping into our territory. We'll have to find out what it is soon," Sam said, and the others nodded. "We'll talk about this later."

I was starting to get curious about the strange scent they kept mentioning, but I didn't think any of them would tell me much about it. I'd have to ask Jacob later.

"Well, I guess we'd better get going then. Emily is expecting us soon," Sam said and turned to me.

"Would you like to join us, Bella?"

Curious, I replied, "Er, sure. What's going on?"

"My birthday," Jacob said and added with a grin, "Or have you already forgotten?" Oh! His birthday! I'd gotten sidetracked again and forgotten about his presents.

"No, I didn't forget." I stuck my tongue out at him teasingly. "I was going to ask if you could drive with me back to my house to pick up your presents and some clothes that actually fit me.

"How about I drive down to Bella's place, and then meet you all at Emily's?" He asked, looking to Sam.

Sam nodded once. "That's fine. It'll give Emily more time to get everything ready, and Bella can help her."

I agreed and we all piled out of the house.

**A/N: **_Ok, so I'm still needing reviews people because they make me happy and make me work faster! I've gotten lots of views, but where are all the reviews? Please just tell me what you think. And just for an incentive, I won't post the next part until I get at least 7 more reviews. Let's hope I get them before next week, otherwise you will all have to wait til I get back from my trip._

_So go review please! _


	4. Chapter 3 Part 2

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT.**

_Thanks again to **Amabel**, my awsome editor._

**A/N:**_ Ok, so I know the last part was kind of short, but that was because I seperated it into 2 parts. The next chapter will be longer though. So here is part 2 of Reunion. Enjoy!_

**Silversymphony620**_- This chapter update is for you, since you replied. The next chapter will have some of what you kinda 'requested'. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading._

**Chapter 3 - Reunion - Part 2**

Jacob took off on his motorcycle towards my house while I drove off towards Emily's house in my truck. The pack followed me from the forest.

The wolves beat me to our destination. Of course, they were a lot faster than my truck. I didn't mind being alone on the way up, though. I was just glad to be out of Jacob's tiny house. I felt so much more comfortable with all the space of my truck to myself; I didn't feel so claustrophobic anymore.

When I walked into Emily's house, my stomach growled loudly. I was starving from missing breakfast, even though it was only a little past lunchtime. I knew that the meals in this house were always large enough to feed six hungry werewolves. I assumed there would be even more food today to celebrate Jacob's birthday.

I was right. When I came into the kitchen to see if Emily needed any help, I gasped at the enormous amount of food covering the counters and the table. All available space was packed full of trays and plates of food.

The pack was gathered around the table staring, and probably drooling as well, at all the delicious food that was before them. Sam was standing behind Emily with his hands around her waist and his face nuzzling her neck and kissing her cheeks. She giggled softly and stepped away from the cake she'd been frosting. Then, turning in Sam's arms, she brought her face up to his and they kissed. Sam's lips trailed gentle kisses over ever inch of the scars on her face.

"Aw, come on, Sam. Let Emily finish so we can eat. I'm starving!" Quil complained. I turned from the couple then, letting them enjoy their moment in privacy.

"Oh, hush. You can wait," Sam told him. Quil grumbled another complaint at them and turned away.

"I can help you finish up things if you'd like, Emily." I said, without turning around. Then I felt her hand on my shoulder and I turned toward her.

"Thanks, I could really use your help. I'm almost finished with the cake." She smiled and pulled me towards it. The cake was huge, and looked like one you'd buy from the store.

"Wow, that's really neat. I didn't know you were an artist," I said admiring the cake. She'd made the frosting look like a drawing. Blue sky, green grass and a black silhouette of a wolf running covered the top of the cake.

"I'm not really an artist. This just sort of happened," she admitted. "Though I must admit that I'm pretty proud of it. I'm not sure if I want anyone eating it now," she laughed.

"Well I still think it's pretty neat, and I know Jacob will love it."

"Thanks. So, would you mind squeezing the rest of those lemons so that we can make lemonade?" She gestured to the corner of the counter where there were a pile of lemons just waiting for me.

"Sure, I'll do that right now."

"Sam, why don't you help her?" Emily suggested.

"Sure." He nodded, giving her another quick kiss. He took his place beside me and began squeezing lemons into a pitcher like a pro. I'd only finished my second lemon by the time he was on his sixth. It didn't make me feel bad, though. I was sure he got all the experience from being over here so much. Emily probably had all the wolves working for their meals; I know I would.

Not too long after we finished the lemonade, Jacob came back.

"Jake's back!" Embry called from the other room. We all gathered by the door and when Jacob came in we shouted, "Happy Birthday, Jake!" as loud as we could.

"Thanks guys," he said, the smile I loved best on his face. Then, handing me my clothes, he showed me to the bathroom so I could change.

When I came out, I heard roars of laughter and wondered what I'd missed. In my absence, they had apparently given Jacob a whipped cream pie. Sam had gone and pushed Jake's face into it so now his face was covered in it. I burst out laughing at the sight of him trying to lick it all off his face while looking for a towel.

"Aw, I missed all the action," I pretended to complain.

"Well here then." Jacob came up to me and smeared whipped cream onto both of my cheeks and my nose. "Now you didn't miss a thing." He chuckled with a huge grin.

"Hey!" I smacked his arm and wiped my face on the towel Emily was handing me.

"Now that we're all here, it's time to eat," she informed us, and the guys tackled the table.

It never ceased to amaze me how the six of them could eat so much and still be so hungry. I'd only eaten one plate-full by the time they'd finished half of what was on the table. And Emily kept bringing more food from the counters!

Emily had made a wide variety of dishes, and I tried to eat a little of everything before the rest of them could eat it all. Her cooking was so delicious that I was almost jealous. Although I'd been cooking for Renee and myself all of my life, I knew that Emily had much more experience. She had to, what with having to feed this bunch everyday.

It wasn't long before all the food was gone and we were all thanking Emily for the meal, or meals in the pack's case.

"I'm glad you all enjoyed it." She smiled happily. She'd already started to clean up, putting the dishes in piles by the sink and wiping down the counters. I got up to help her, knowing that there were way too many dishes for just one person to do.

"Oh, you don't have to help, Bella. I can do it myself," Emily said. "Besides, you're a guest."

"It's all right. I want to help. Besides, there's so much to clean. It would get done faster if there were two people doing the job anyway," I told her. She nodded, smiling.

"Ok, then I'll get the dishes started." She began to fill the sink with warm, soapy water. "Can you stack the dishes from the table over here by the sink?"

I nodded and began to pile the dishes up.

Sam came into the kitchen and leaned down to whisper in Emily's ear. She nodded at him with a smile and kissed him once before he and the rest of the pack left the house. Well, all except Jacob.

"Where are they going?" I asked him curiously, wondering why he had decided to stay behind.

"They went out to investigate the strange scent we've been picking up," he replied, getting up to help me pile up dishes.

"What about you? Why did you stay?" I asked again. I knew he was usually excited about picking up new scents; it usually meant that there would be a fight. I thought he'd like to be there if they found anything new.

"It's my birthday. I get to do whatever I want today," he replied with a smirk, and took the stack of dishes that were in my hands, setting them on the counter. "And right now I want you to come with me."

For some odd reason, my heart skipped a beat at his words and that startled me, but not as much as his reply had.

"B-But I'm helping Emily right now," I protested, knowing that he'd see right through my pathetic excuse. Emily didn't help the matter.

"It's okay, Bella. I can take it from here," she reassured me. "Go have some fun." She smiled and I frowned, wondering if she was in on this.

I went with him, however reluctant. That didn't discourage Jacob though, and I began to wonder nervously what he had planned for me.

It completely surprised me when he disappeared into the dense trees as soon as we were outside, and a russet brown wolf reappeared. I definitely hadn't been expecting that, but I was getting very suspicious.

He laughed his coughing bark at my expression. I glared at him. I had no clue what he was thinking and he knew it too. I couldn't really understand him that well when he was a wolf. I wasn't a mind reader.

Jacob crouched by my side then, nudging me with his big head.

"What?" I asked him stupidly. "I don't know what you want."

He looked toward the forest and barked once, turning back to give me another nudge me. He leveled his gaze to mine so our eyes met.

"What, you want me to go in the woods?" I guessed. He bobbed his head and I took that for a yes.

"Jake, you know I won't be able to keep up with you in there," I complained, not liking where this was going. "I'll just end up tripping the whole way." I crossed my arms over my chest. He ought to have known that by now.

He nudged my back then, and lay down on his stomach in front of me.

"What, are you going to carry me on your back then?" I joked, but secretly hoped that I was wrong.

Jacob barked again and I groaned. He only cocked his head and whined, pleading with me, I supposed.

"Fine," I sighed, feeling stupid for arguing with a wolf. "But don't run too fast. I don't want to end up in the hospital because I couldn't hold onto you."

He grinned, as best as a wolf could, and licked my cheek happily.

"Ew, gross Jake!" I wiped my cheek off, glaring at him. He just laughed his coughing bark again.

With a heavy sigh, I climbed onto his back. "Let's get this over with."


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT.**

**Special Note: I just wanted to say thanks to _Amabel _for not only being my Editor, but also for giving me positive feedback for this story. I'm so glad you became my Editor.**

**Silversymphony620 -**_ Hey, let me know what you thought of this chapter. I like hearing what you think. Also, I know there isn't much 'Nakey Jakey' in this chapter, but there will be in future chapters, just for you because you are the only other person that continues to let me know what you think of my story. Thanks for reading!  
_

**Chapter 4 - The Clearing**

Running with Jacob was amazing. I suppose it was like riding a horse- not that I'd ridden one before- only much, much faster. I held onto Jacob as tightly as I could. My arms locked around his neck and my hands balled into fists around clumps of his thick fur. I hoped that I wasn't hurting him. It probably wasn't fun having someone riding on your back and clinging to you so tightly for fear of falling off that they were pulling out your fur.

I tried to keep my eyes open as he ran, but we were going too fast. The wind stung at my eyes and made them water, so I kept them closed.

"Jacob, slow down!" I yelled to him, pressing the side of my face against his neck. I was getting cold. The clothes he had brought me, jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a jacket, weren't doing much in the way of keeping me warm. The cold wind blowing at us as he ran wasn't helping, either. Jacob was very warm though, and I could feel my face warming up from the heat of his body. As long as I kept my face against his neck, I would be fine.

Jacob slowed up some and I opened my eyes to see where we were, but kept my face pressed against him.

"Jake, where are you taking me?" I asked, knowing he wasn't able to answer. As if in silent reply,  
he slowed to a stop and crouched low on the ground to let me off.

I was a bit unsteady on my feet at first. My muscles felt sore after clinging to him so tightly. I knew I would probably be feeling even worse in the morning. I held onto Jacob for support.

When I felt sure enough that I wouldn't fall down when I walked, I let go. He stood and walked through a thick stand of trees ahead of us and I followed.

I thought I could hear the sound of water trickling over rocks as we pushed deeper into the trees. Then I saw light shinning through and we emerged from the forest into a large open clearing.

I was in awe. It was so beautiful, but it reminded me of another place I'd been. A place that brought back painful memories. I shook my head, not wanting to remember, not here and not now.

The clearing was about the size of a baseball field, maybe bigger. To the left of us, there was a beautiful waterfall pouring down from a short cliff-side and into a small pool that had smooth stones bordering the banks. From there, a little stream flowed out across the length of the clearing.

To the right, there was what appeared to be a bunch of large boulders stacked in a pile. It looked as though someone had just dropped them there. I couldn't tell if it was just a pile of rocks or if it might be a cave. I guess if a bear came out then we'd know.  
The grass was surprisingly short. It only came up to mid-calf on me. The whole clearing was surrounded by a fringe of dense trees, which made it seem very secluded. It was so simple yet incredibly beautiful.

"Wow, this is amazing, Jacob," I marveled. He was sitting just a few feet ahead of me, watching my reaction. It was odd, but he looked strangely at home here; like he belonged. Of course he probably would hate me saying that. Jacob wasn't exactly thrilled about being a werewolf, not like Quil at least. I guess he sort of sees it as a being curse in a way, but I just see it as a part of who he is.

"When did you find this place?" I wondered, but of course he couldn't answer. He just stared at me.

"What?" Jacob just shook his head and loped off into the trees, reappearing as his normal human self.

"I found it last week, the day you decided to go cliff diving yourself." He snorted, shaking his head at the thought. "I was going to bring you out here that day, but those plans changed. But I guess it all worked out in the end. I still got the chance to bring you out here," he said and started walking towards the waterfall. I followed close behind him.

He stuck one foot in the water when we reached the little pool. It couldn't have felt too good. Today was not a good day for a swim, that was for sure.

"Brr. Isn't that water cold?" I asked, shivering at the thought. The wind was picking up a little bit and I was still cold from the run.

"Nope. It actually feels kind of nice," he said and I thought he was joking. But then again, maybe it did feel nice to him; his core temperature was somewhere around a roasting 109 degrees.

"Well why don't you jump in then?" I said, giving him a slight playful shove. He either hadn't been expecting that or he slipped on the smooth stones, because he plunged face first into the little pool. Luckily, it was deep enough so he didn't smash his head at the bottom.

"Jake, are you okay?" I asked, hoping I didn't hurt him. "I didn't mean to push you in! I'm so sorry!" He only glared up at me.

"You'd better run," he said in an even tone and I stared at him, confused.

"Why?" I asked cautiously, not sure if he was being serious or just messing with me.

"Because when I catch you, you'll be just as wet as I am," he said, the seriousness thick in his voice.

"What? No!" I shouted, turning to run away from him. He gave me a few seconds to get across the stream before getting out of the water and following me out into the open field.

"Here I come!" He called and I could hear the grin in his voice. Was he toying with me?

I knew it was pointless to run because he could obviously catch me before I got very far, but I ran anyway. I felt his warm, wet arms wrap around my waist before I even saw him. He lifted me off of the ground and into his arms.

"Gotcha," he chuckled and I screamed. He had startled me. I hadn't even heard him running behind me. Being a werewolf had made him light on his feet.

Jacob slung me over his shoulder, still laughing, and turned to walk back to the waterfall.

"Jacob, let me down!" I cried and smacked his back. "I'm cold! I don't want to get wet! Besides, I told you I didn't mean to push you in. It was an accident!" He didn't answer. He wasn't really going to throw me into that cold water, was he? I knew I'd get sick for sure if he did. He wasn't going to let that happen, was he?

"Jake, please!" I tried again and this time he stopped just a few feet away from the pool. He pulled me back upright then, so that he was holding me against his chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around my waist. I looked up to his face to see that he was still glaring at me. Then, without warning he just burst out laughing.

"You should see the look on your face, Bells," he laughed at me.

It was my turn to glare at him now. I didn't see anything funny about this.  
"Well I'm so glad my expressions amuse you," I grimaced, my tone thick with sarcasm. "So what happened to throwing me in the water as punishment for accidentally pushing you in?" I asked, but regretted my words as soon as I'd said them. I hoped his laughter had meant that he wasn't going to be letting me go for a swim today.

He stared at me, blinking in surprise. "Did you want to be thrown in?" He asked curiously. "I could if it would make you feel better," he joked, making me want to hit him. When I still didn't answer, he brought a warm hand up to caress my cheek and turn my head to face his now very serious expression.

"Bells, you didn't really think I was going to throw you in did you?" He stroked my cheek again and brushed a thick strand of my hair behind my left ear. "I was just playing around with you, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know that Jake." I nodded once. I didn't know what was up with me. I just wasn't feeling myself right now. "I'm sorry...It's your birthday. We're supposed to be having fun and here I am ruining it."

"Don't worry about it, Bells. Just having you with me on my birthday makes it all the more special. But you know, I can't let you go without a little punishment for soaking me." He replied, a sly grin tugging at his lips.

"What kind of punishment?" I wondered with renewed caution. I had no clue what to expect from him this time.

"A kiss," he simply stated. Now that had definitely caught me off guard.

"A ki-" Was all I was able to get out before his feverishly warm lips claimed mine in a kiss that was rougher than our first. His lips moved hungrily against mine, trying to coax a response out of me.

"Jake..." I gasped, finally managing to break the kiss. Why was he doing this to me? I couldn't do this. I didn't want to go through another relationship only to have my heart broken again. I knew Jacob would never do that, but some part of me was scared that he'd realize how empty, how broken I really was and he'd leave me, just like..._Just like Edward did._

My thoughts were interrupted again as one of Jacob's hands slid up into my hair, knotting in it and pressing my face back to his and kissing me with a renewed ferocity that was almost dangerous.

_Why is he doing this?_ I wondered again. I wanted to stop. I knew I should stop him. This wasn't right, but for some reason I couldn't find the strength to pull away. Jacob's kisses were unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was so strange and unfamiliar to me. There seemed to be no limiting boundaries from Jacob, not like how it was with '_Him_'.

Jacob's tongue was hot on my mouth, teasing and probing; still trying to coax me to respond.  
He caught my lower lip with his teeth, tugging and nibbling it gently. I opened my mouth to him with a wild gasp, allowing him access. That was obviously the reaction he'd been hoping for. His tongue explored my mouth, eager to taste me.

I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck and throwing myself into the kiss just as eagerly as he was. This was wrong and I knew it. I didn't want to encourage him, but I couldn't help it.  
I didn't want to stop and that scared me even more. Why was I reacting to him this way? It wasn't rational… Or was it?

I felt as well as heard him moan into my mouth. His hold on my waist tightened, bringing our bodies so close together that I could feel his heart pounding in his chest the same as mine; only mine felt as though it was racing at the speed of light.

To my surprise, the hunger and fierceness in his kisses began to fade away until they became nothing but soft and gentle caresses of his lips on mine.

"Wow, Bells. That was...wow," he breathed against my lips in a voice much huskier than usual, as he finally pulled away. "That was incredible...amazing...perfect..." He whispered in between the kisses he was trailing down my neck, along my jaw. I didn't answer. I couldn't speak. He had literally left me breathless and I was trying to remember how to breathe as he spoke.

I decided that I wouldn't say anything about him kissing me. I was the one at fault for encouraging him and that was wrong. I should have stopped him before it got too far, but I didn't. Jacob deserved someone better than me. Someone who wasn't a broken and empty, or partially empty shell of what I used to be. I knew I had to tell him that sooner or later, but not now, not on his birthday.

Jacob eventually let me down and we went back to joking around again like what had just taken place was a normal occurrence between us.

We talked and fooled around for the rest of the afternoon. Surprisingly it didn't rain all day. Well, it did sprinkle for a little bit, but nothing that we had to take shelter from.  
When the sun began to set, we were lying on our backs in the grass, waiting for the stars to come out. I was lying on my side next to Jacob with my head resting on his bare chest. As it grew darker, the weather grew colder and he was the only thing that could keep me warm enough to stay here.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked after awhile of lying there in silence. He nodded,  
still gazing up at the cloudy night sky, and I continued.

"Why do you always run into the trees to phase? Why don't you ever phase in front of me?" I asked, trying not to sound rude or anything. I was just genuinely curious.

He was silent at my words and I took it as meaning he didn't want to answer me.

"I'm sorry. That was too personal. You don't have to tell me."

"No, it's okay. It's just... well I thought you already knew the answer. It's pretty obvious." He admitted, sheepishly. "One reason is because, well, when we phase our clothes don't phase with us," he explained and I turned my head to look up at him.

"We're naked, Bells," he stated, seeing that I wasn't fully comprehending exactly what he'd been suggesting. "When we phase back from wolves to humans, we are completely naked."

"Oh!" I turned away blushing and feeling very stupid. "You're right, that was pretty obvious." What was wrong with me today? It was as if my brain was slowing down and I wasn't able to think straight.

"So what's the other reason?" I wondered, knowing full well that there was more to it than being embarrassed about me seeing him naked. I wasn't entirely sure that Jacob would mind me seeing him naked, though.

He was silent again and this time I waited for him to respond.

"I just… I don't want to freak you out." He sat up then, pulling me up with him. His hands were firm on my shoulders and I gazed up at him, scrutinizing his expression. He was serious about this.

"What do you mean, Jake?"

"I just don't want you to get grossed out. I don't want to scare you. It's not...normal. I'm not normal, Bella." He sighed and I could hear the disgust in his voice and see the pain on his face.  
"Besides, it's not safe for you to be near me when I phase. I do have some control over it, but I don't completely trust myself to be around you. I don't want to put you at risk, Bella. I don't want to hurt you."

"Jacob, nothing in this world is normal. Even I'm not normal." I said, my voice soothing, trying to comfort him. "If you don't want to phase in front of me that's fine. I only asked out of curiosity. I wasn't trying to upset you." Slowly, almost hesitantly, I reached my hand up to touch his warm cheek. He sighed, leaning into my hand. "But I want you to know that I trust you, Jacob."

"You say that now, but seeing it is something totally different. It's…hard to explain." He sighed again, dropping his hands from my shoulders and looking away.

"Then show me," I whispered, turning his face back to me. A look of defeat passed over his face before he closed his eyes and leaned into my hand again. Then he placed one of his hands over mine, holding it in place for a long moment before he brought my hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on my palm.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jacob. Just show me," I whispered. He didn't respond. He only shook his head at me, slowly. I couldn't tell why, but I knew it wasn't in disagreement.

Jacob pulled away from me altogether and, standing, he strode away. At first I thought he was going to leave me, but he stopped when he was a few feet ahead of me.

"Bella, are you sure you want to see this?" He asked without turning around. I wasn't entirely sure that he wanted an answer.

"Yes, I'm sure." I breathed in a voice so low I wasn't sure that he had even heard. But he nodded,  
so I knew he did.

Without any warning, Jacob slipped out of his cut-off sweats, tossing them aside and leaving me blushing at his naked backside. I didn't look away because as soon as his sweats were off, he lifted his head toward the sky and it began.

At first, I couldn't tell if anything was happening, but then the muscles in his back began to ripple. His whole body was quivering, but he stood as still as stone and that's when I saw it. Jacob's skin was starting to peel away and disappear, like it wasn't even there to begin with. It started with his face, the skin just disintegrating and beneath it all a wolf started to emerge. It was as if the wolf was growing out of his body, his frame distorting as the wolf emerged in an explosion of russet brown fur. The strange thing was that it seemed to go very slow,  
as though Jacob was purposely slowing the process down for my benefit. As the wolf grew, the process began to speed up and soon it would be all over.

I knew that rationally, I should be afraid. I should have been running away screaming at the sight of my best friend exploding into a giant wolf, but I wasn't. I couldn't, no, I wouldn't look away. I admit that I was feeling a little more than nauseous at the sight of his skin peeling away, but otherwise I was fine. For now at least.

When it was all finished, Jacob's human body was gone, and his wolf form stood in its place. He turned around to face me, his head bowed low and a low whine escaping his throat. It was only then that I felt my body shaking.

Jacob came towards me slowly, cautiously, like he was afraid that I was going to turn and bolt away screaming. He let out another whine and sat in front of me.

"I-I'm okay, J-Jacob." I shivered, reaching out to him, seeking his warmth. I could feel the heat radiating off of his huge body and I couldn't help but lean into him, burying my face in his thick fur. "I'm j-just cold."

Jacob shifted so he was lying down and I was snuggled in against his body. His tail covered me like a blanket and the rest of his body curled around me in a half circle to keep me sheltered from the wind.

I felt my eyes growing heavy lidded and knew that any second I would fall asleep. Jacob began to hum deep in his throat and it reminded me of a cat purring, contentedly. It was a soothing sound.

"Happy Birthday, Jacob," I whispered, before closing my heavy eyelids and drifting off into a deep and peaceful sleep.


End file.
